Tag Archives: Aissa Mutiara

Doctor Bear and Helpful Bunny: The Travelling Dentist by Emma L. Halim & Her Mum Mary Tucker illustrated by Alissa Mutiara

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Doctor Bear and Helpful Bunny: The Travelling Dentist by Emma L. Halim & Her Mum Mary Tucker illustrated by Alissa Mutiara

Sometimes you just need a sweet little story about a traveling (sorry one l I’m not British) dentist going under the sea to help a hammer head shark with a toothache.  This rhyming story for toddlers is perfect for the demographic as duas are said to get through the pain and fear and the reliance on Allah swt that all will be well.  The Muslim animals and the fun illustrations make the story appealing whether your child is afraid of the dentist or not, and the focus on the duas in the backmatter, makes the book a good tool for repetitive use.  It is worth noting that their are 32 pages in the book, but the story is only 20 pages.  There is a glossary, multiple dedications, scanable codes for activities, ads for other books, duas, sources for duas and author bios in the back.

The book starts with Doctor Bear and Helpful Bunny introducing themselves as traveling dentists for all animals, even those under the sea.  When they get a call from Sonny, they set an appointment time, gather their gear on a boat and then head underwater to the shark village.

Sammy is glad they are there, as he is in pain. They clean his teeth, but need to remove the wiggly one, and that scares him.  He says a dua and before he knows it the huge tooth is out, alhumdulillah.

The book then has a two page spread about duas that help when you are “feeling funny inside” in Arabic, English transliteration, and their meanings in English.  A fun book with a great mix of story, silliness, education, and heart.

A Cat Like Me! A Fun Hajj Tale by Emma Halim illustrated by Aissa Mutiara

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A Cat Like Me! A Fun Hajj Tale by Emma Halim illustrated by Aissa Mutiara

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A rhyming cat centered book about hajj that has been checked by a Shaykh!  Over 46 pages, preschool aged children and up will be able to see the steps of hajj in a fun, engaging and accurate way.  This book is great for bedtime and small group story time and the reasonable price makes it perfect for sharing too.  The illustrations do not have faces with eyes, but the joy comes through and Bissa the cat makes sure you know how special hajj is.

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I love that the book identifies what type of hajj is going to be shown and thus signals that there are different ways.  I also love that the book is sourced and the Shaykh is named and qualifications listed.  For so long erroneous information in children’s books has gone unchecked and it really is such an important   verification for something critical in our faith to be sourced and checked. Plus it is reassuring for the reader to feel confident in sharing the information with others.

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The book radiates with excitement and information and the rhymes and illustrations keep kids engaged.  The book is 8.5 x 8.5 so it might not work in big groups.  I purchased mine from if you use code https://crescentmoonstore.com if you use my initials ISL (Islamic School Librarian) at checkout you will save 10% it is also available here on Amazon.

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